Tight and loose running-gear.



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JOHN LEE MOIJOWELL, OF BERWICK, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 AMERICAN CAR AND `IE'OUNIDIRY COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

TIGHT AND Loosn RUNNING-GEAR.

Application sled rune 3o, 191e. serial No. 106,824.

b all 'LU/1.0m t may concern.' f

Be it known that I, JOHN LEE MoDoWELL, residing at Berwick,l Columbia county, State of Pennsylvania, and being a citizen of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tight and Loose Running-Gear, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and 'exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to Amake and to use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the inventionis not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifications thereof within the scope of the claims will occur to persons skilled in the art.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a transverse vertical section through a portion of a mine car and my improved tight and loose running gear with which it is equipped.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of one of the wheels.

Fig. 3 is a persepctive View of thedriving collar adapted to coperate with the hub extension of said wheel; and

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1 illustrating the end of the wheel hub inserted in the socket of the driving collar. i

The present invention relates to tightand loose running gears which are particularly adapted for use in connection with mine cars.

The running gear has been designed with a view to securing the advantages of such a device by the adaptation of the wheel hubs to collars which are shrunk upon the axle, one of said collars being so formed as to have a driving connection with one of said wheel hubs'. Another collar is shaped so as not to interfere with the free rotation ofthe wheel with which it is associated. Both collars coperate with journal boxes to po sition the wheels longitudinally of the axle. This invention also comprehends means for lubricating the journal boxes and axles in such manner that lubricant supplied to the journal boxes will find its way' to the interior of the wheel hub and there be distributed longitudinally of said wheel hubs and the axle.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented May 1, 1917.

Other features of merit `will become apparentV hereinafter, all being parts of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents theaxle affiliated with one pair of wheels 2, whichaxle may be of uniform diameter and therefore readily cut to length from commercially'rolled bar stock. Wheels 2 are shown to'be of the cast type and are provided with hubs which have peculiarly formed rear extensions 3, being illustrated as having a polygonal cross section. In Fig. 1, a driving collar 4 is shown as adjacent `the inner hub extension 3 of the left hand'wheel. As best shown in Figs. 3 and 4, said driving collar 4 has a substantially cylindrical portion 5 and a hexagonal socketed portion 6 which is conformed to the inner extension 3 of wheel 2 and is shown in Figs. 1 and 4 as having the hexagonal wheel hub extension 3 slipped into it. The inner extension 3 of the right hand wheel merely abutsthe outer side face of collar 7, which collar may be in the nature of a short cylinder.` Collars 4 and 7 are assembled with axle 1 by first being heated and slipped over the respective ends of said axle to the proper longitudinal positions thereon, after which they are allowed to cool so that they will become shrunk upon said axle. It thus becomes' apparent that both collars 4 and 7 are substantially as rigidly connected with axle 1 as if they were integral parts thereof. Driving collar 4 is preferably cast as is the wheel 2 with which it is combined, and it is a purpose that there shall be suflcient clearance between the inner'hub' extension 3 and thesocketportion 6 ofthe collar so that there will be no necessity for machining the parts. V

Axle 1 extends through the collars 4 and 7, the hubs S of the wheels mounted upon the axle, and beyond said hubs to project from the outer faces thereof into suitable journal boxes 9, which are ordinarily selcured to the bottoms of the side sills 10 of the car.' j

lThe hubs of the wheels are preferably each of the lubricating type and are closed at their inner ends except for a running t with the axle, but each wheel has an openl outer end into which a fluid conveying portion or extension 11 of the adjoining journal box extends.

There are appropriate bearings 12 in the Ist journal boxes which, while they may be the usual brasses, are, preferably, in the interest of economy, of cast iron. At the inner end of each bearing 12 is provided a radially extending flange 13 against which the outer face of the wheel hub 8 of the adjacent wheel is adapted to engage when the axle 1 makes an end thrust toward the bearing.

To prevent the wheel hub from cutting into the bearing 12 and to permit the hub to adequately withstand its impact against said bearing, the metal of the outer shell of the wheel hub 8 is thickened adjacent the opening in the outer face of the hub to form a wearing or reinforcing annulus 14. The bearing flange 13 and the wheel hub wearing annulus 111 are seen to have opposing faces in vertical planes, which are wide enough to make a non-incisive engagement, but which are suiiciently narrow to avoid excessive friction during such engagement. It is obvious, of course, that due to the clearance between the wheel hubs and the flanges 13 of the journal box bearings 12, such engagement is ordinarily only intermittent. Lubricant ports 15 are present in the outer faces of the journal boxes 9, and the casings of the latter are depressed at 22, preferably below the axles, to provide recesses for the reception of waste 23 which absorbs lubricant and transfers it to those por-tions of the axle which project into the journal boxes. Lubricant is adapted to pass from the journal boxes along the fluid conveying extensions 11 and to be discharged into receiving chambers 16 in the wheel hubs, there being one such chamber, by preference, in each hub.

The interior of each wheel hub is provided with an internal bearing 17 for the axle, said internal bearing 17 being connected with the outer shell of the hub by an internal wall 18 which forms a lubricating chamber 19 in the rear of lubricant receiving-chamber 16. Apertures 20 extend through this internal wall, placing the lubricant receivingchamber 16 into communication with the axle lubricant chamber 19.

lt will be noted that the outer shell of each hub 8 tapers within the Zone of ccmmunication of the just referred to charnbers, and, hence, lubricant Huid located in the lower parts of the hubs is adapted to flow rapidly from the lubricant receiving chambers 16 into the lubricating chambers 19.

Within the lubricating chamber 19 of each wheel hub, is a diagonal groove 21 formed by the opposing faces of the internal axle bearing 17 and the inner end wall of the hub, this groove exposing the axle to the lubricant. When the wheel is rotating the diagonal groove 21 causes the lubricant to encounter the axle 1 to a greater longitudinal extent than would be possible were said groove vertically arranged, thus improving the lubricating of said axle and consequently the bearings for the same formed 'integral with the wheel hub.

Should it be desired to use a difieren journal. box bearing than that illustrated at 12, in Fig. 1, considerable choice as to the type may be indulged in and need not necessarily be required to act as a stop against outward movement of the wheel. Journal box extension 11, it will be noted, "projects into proximity to the wall 18 between the lubricant-receiving and axle-lubricating chambers, being directly opposed to internal axle bearing 17 in the wheel hub. Consequently, the, hub extension 3 cannot become disassociated with collar t on the axle, even if journal box bearing 12 does not function as an outer wheel stop.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that l have devised a tight and loose running gear adapted for use in connection with mine cars, in which a pair of collars are shrunk upon the axle, one of said collars having a non-circular socket into which projects a correspondingly non-circular hub extension from the adjacent wheel to establish a driving connection between that wheel and the axle, which connection is of a telescopic character. Also, it is clear that the association of the other wheel on that axle with its afliliated collar is such that the latter wheel is free to revolve independently of the axle. lt is further plain that I have provided suitable lubrication in a system which includes the journal boxes and the wheel hubs, and that l have guarded against the wheel hubs destructively engaging bearing blocks in the journal boxes.

`What I claim is:

1. 1n combination in a truck, an axle, a wheel having a hub which said axle enters without connection thereto, and a collar firmly afhxed to said axle, said hub and collar having non-circular portions in inseparable telescopic driving engagement when the parts are assembled.

2. In combination in a truck, an axle, a wheel loosely mounted thereon and a collar immovably secured on said axle to form an abutment for said wheel, there being mutually interlocking portions of said wheel and collar forming a driving connection.

3. 1n combination in a truck, an axle, a journal box therefor, a collar spaced from said journal box and immovably secured to said axle and a wheel having a hub loosely mounted on said axle between said journal box and collar, said collar and wheel having flat-faced portions telescopically interlocking to form a driving connection.

a. In combination in a tight and loose running gear, an axle, journal boxes therefor near the opposite ends thereof, a collar spaced from each journal box and rigidly secured to said axle so as to be rotatable therewith, and Wheels having hubs loosely mounted upon said axle between said journal boxes and collars, the hub of one Wheel and its adjacent collar having non-circular telescopically engaging portions held against disassociation and adapted to cause mutual rotation of said Wheel and axle and the other' Wheel and its adjacent collar having a relation permitting a free rotation of the last mentioned Wheel.

5. In combination in a mine car, an axle, a journal box into which said axle extends, a collar having a portion secured to said axle Without the embodiment of another attachment device and also having another portion fashioned to form a non-circular socket, and a Wheel loosely mounted on said axle between said journal box and collar and having a non-circular hub extension proj ecting into said collar socket to form a driving connection between said Wheel and axle.

6. In combination in a truck, an axle, a Wheel having a hub loosely mounted thereon and a collar shrunk on said axle and fashioned to have a polygonal socket, said hub having a portion corresponding to the shape of said socket inserted in the latter to form a driving connection between said Wheel and axle. i

7. In combination in a mine car, an axle, a journal box therefor having a fluidsconveying extension, a Wheel loosely mounted on said axle and comprising a hub provided With Walls forming communicating lubricant-receiving and axlelubricating chambers, and a collar fixed to said axle and 4shaped to interlock With an extension from a Wall of said lubricatin chamber by relative movement longitudinally of the axis of said extension to thereby produce simultaneous rotation of said axle and Wheel, said fluid-conveying extension opposing a Wall surface of said lubricantweceiving chamber and preventing disconnection between said collar and said chamber Wall extension.

8. In combination in a mine car, an axle, a journal box therefor having a flanged bearing block, a Wheel mounted on said axle and having an outer hub shell with a portion adjacent the bearing block flange, said portion being of increased section and shaped to form a non-incisive Wearing annulus.

9. In combination in a mine car, an axle, a journal box therefor having a fluid-conveying extension, a Wheel loosely mounted on said axle and having a hub provided with communicating lubricantreceiving and axle-lubricating chambers and comprising a hub extension from a Wall of the latter chamber and an internal axle bearing intermediate said chambers, and a device conformed to and relatively slidable into engagement With the hub extension rigidly connect-ing said Wheel and axle, said journal box extension entering said receiving; chamber and co-acting With said internal bearing to prevent disengagement of said hub extension and device.

l0. In combination in a mine car, an axle, a Wheel loosely mounted thereon and provided with a hub having a polygonal ex tension and means rigidly secured to said axle and adapted to cooperate With said extension to cause said Wheel and axle to rotate simultaneously, said hub extension being adapted to disengage said means by a sliding movement.

1l. In combination in a mine car, an axle, a plurality of Wheels held at a relatively fixed distance apart thereon, one of the Wheels being freely rotatable on the axle, journal boxes receiving end portions of said axle, one of said journal boxes having a shouldered portion and journal bearings one of which has a radial flange fitting the shoulder in one journal box and both journal bearings being adapted to receive end thrusts of said Wheels.

12. In combination in a mine car, an axle, collars on said axle, a plurality of Wheels held on the axle at a relatively fixed distance apart by said collars, one of said Wheels being freely rotatable on the axle, journal boxes receiving opposite end portions of said axle each of said journal boxes having a shouldered portion and an extension the latter extending into the Wheel hubs, and journal bearings having radial flanges fitting shoulders in the journal boxes and said journal bearings being adapted to receive end thrusts of said Wheels.

13. In combination in a minecar, an axle, a plurality of Wheels held thereon at a relatively fixed distance apart, one of the Wheels being freely rotatable on the axle, the other Wheel being rotatable only with the axle, journal boxes receiving end portions of said axle which is rotatable in the journal boxes and said journal boxes having shouldered portions, and journal bearings having flanges fitting the shoulders in said journal boxes and being adapted to receive end thrusts of said Wheels.

14. In combination in a mine car, an axle, collars thereon, a plurality of wheels held by said collars at a relatively fixed distance apart on said axle, one Wheel being freely rotatable on the axle, the other Wheel interlocking with one of said collars so as to be rotatable only with said axle, journal boxes receiving end portions of the axle, said j ournal boxes having shouldered portions and journal bearings having Hanges fitting the shoulders of said journal boxes and being adapted to receive end thrusts of said Wheels.

l5. In combination in a mine car, an axle, a plurality of Wheels held at a relatively fixed distance apart thereon, one of the ice Y Wheels being freely rotatable 0n the axle and one wheel being rotatable with the axle, journal boxes receiving end portions of said axle, journal bearings in said journal boxes and havingflanges extending radially from the axle between said wheels and the journal boxes, said flanges being adapted to receive end thrusts of said wheels.

16. ln combination in a truck, an axle, a collar secured thereto so as to be rotatable therewith, said collar having a portion extending longitudinally of and spaced from said axle and a wheel having a non-circular hub portion adapted to enter between the longitudinal extension of the collar and said axle and to interlock therewith to thereby prevent rotation of the wheel independently of the axle.

17. In combination in a truck, an axle, a collar secured thereto so as to be rotatable therewith, said collar having a portion for attachment to said axle and a plurality o differently located portions extending longitudinally of and spaced from said axle, and

'a wheel having a hub portion adapted to Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

